Perched at the edge of the Arctic Ocean[1] in Norway, Havoysund is a winding open-air pathway that provides provides visitors with a smooth descent to the beach, as well as a place to rest. Designed by Reiulf Ramstad Architects[2], the concrete structure mimics the winding forms[3] of the mountains behind it as it meanders towards the sea.

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Norway has built eighteen architect-designed routes[5] that encourage visitors to experience the country’s incredible natural beauty. The Havoysund Tourist Route is located at a gorgeous natural cove on the ocean, so Reiulf Ramstad[2] created a route that leads visitors away from the highway and into the beauty of the landscape[6]. The curvilinear design of the walkway forces visitors to slow down and gradually take in the views as they round each turn in the path.

The incline from the road to the beach is quite steep, so the architects designed the path to be very long in order to minimize the rise of the slope. Because of this, it is also wheelchair accessible[7].

The remote site is located far to the north of Norway in an area without much human development. The land has a natural beauty akin to a lunar landscape, which the Havoysund Tourist Route harmonizes with. Visitors can sit within any of the pathway’s curved walls[8], which have built-in benches, or peer through the circular windows cut on within the concrete walls[9], which echo the lunar comparison.